PIQUANT PINEAPPLE AND SHRIMP SKEWERS

24 medium raw shrimp, peeled (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice, drained

4 teaspoons very finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. In a shallow bowl or baking dish, soak 24 bamboo skewers (about 6 inches long) in water for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, one at a time, butterfly the shrimp. To do this, carefully run a knife along the back of the shrimp, cutting in about 1/4 inch. Do not slice all the way through the shrimp. Gently press shrimp open with your fingers.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the shrimp with the pineapple, ginger, lime juice and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes, tossing several times.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.

With the tail end pointing away from you and the slit side facing up, thread each shrimp onto a skewer. Spoon a little of the pineapple marinade on top of each butterflied shrimp. Set the skewer on the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.

With a pastry brush, lightly brush each shrimp with olive oil.

Broil on the oven rack closest to the heat source until the pineapple is lightly browned and the shrimp is cooked, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 24

Nutrition information per skewer: 19 calories; 1 g fat (0 g saturated); 29 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 33 mg sodium.